Deepika Padukone Reveals How Sports Helped Her Fight Depression in New Nike Video

by BG Staff

The ever-inspirational and beautiful Deepika Padukone is the star of a new Nike video campaign featuring Indian female athletes. The video, which debuted on the actress’ Facebook page, has already gone viral with more than 1.6 million views and nearly 16,000 shares in just 14 hours.

In the video titled “Da Da Ding,” Padukone, who had a very public battle with depression, reveals how sports helped her to fight the mental illness.

“Two years ago I struggled with depression. I was sinking. I almost gave up. But it was the athlete in me that gave me the strength to fight and never ever give up!” she wrote on the accompanying Facebook post. “And so I want to say to every girl and every boy and every woman and every man…play a sport…because it changed my life…and it will change yours too!”

Following her own struggles with depression, the actress launched The Live Laugh Love Foundation (TLLLF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about mental health in India, where as many as six to seven percent of Indians are living with minor to major mental health concerns.

In the Nike video, Padukone is seen channeling her inner badminton player, training hard in the gym. She is joined by a number of other Indian female athletes including hockey player Rani Rampal, footballer Jyoti Ann Burrett and cricketers Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandana and Shubhlakshmi Sharma.

“When I was growing up my father said to me, ‘To be the best, always remember the three D’s – Discipline, Dedication and Determination. Follow your heart. Do what you are passionate about,’” Padukone wrote on the Facebook post. “Sport has taught me how to handle failure. It has also taught me how to handle success. It has kept me grounded. It has taught me humility.”

“Sport has taught me how to survive! It has taught me how to fight! It has made me unstoppable!” she added.